In Case of Emergency, Use Social Media!

Whether we were
in the Northeast at the time or not, none of us will forget the devastation
caused by Superstorm Sandy. Government agencies at all levels responded to the
various emergencies and coordinated recovery efforts across multiple states.
They needed to communicate with each other, to engage with citizens, share
information, and maintain awareness of events and community needs. Believe it
or not, response agencies and their partners turned to social media for the
answers to their communications needs.

You can learn about this effort when a
panel of experts comes together to kick-off the National Association of
Government Communicators 2013 Communications School in April. Representative
from FEMA, Fairfax County and the American Red Cross – all members of the Virtual Social Media Working Group
established by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology
Directorate — will share details on how they each leveraged social media to
engage with their stakeholders. They’ll discuss challenges, successes, and
lessons learned.

This
keynote panel will be held on Wednesday, April 17 at 1:15pm, as the exciting kick-off
session for the 2013 NAGC Communications School, April 16-19 at the Pentagon
City Sheraton in Arlington, Va. Check out the rest of the agenda and register
to attend at www.nagconline.org.